


Legacy

by eastern_wind



Series: The Darkest Hour [10]
Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types
Genre: Dialogue Heavy, Divine Leliana, F/M, M/M, No sex though, Parent Cullen Rutherford, Post-Trespasser, bless magic advancements, cullen and dorian are married, female inquisitor and dorian pavus have a child, preparing for a war
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-12
Updated: 2018-04-12
Packaged: 2019-04-21 23:30:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14295813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eastern_wind/pseuds/eastern_wind
Summary: The Inquisition is disbanded and people seem to get on with their lives. But what's if there's something bigger coming?Also, Tairinn and Bull really need to remember not to swear in front of the kid.Currently on hold till The Darkest Hour is finished.





	Legacy

“Hey, give that to me!” 

One-handed woman quickly snatches a bottle of oil from a chubby bronze skinned toddler who is sitting on a low table near the old rocking chair where she currently resides. The child raises his dark brown eyes at her before babbling something incoherent with a happy, nearly toothless smile. Oh, he is a sight to behold, while looking so much like his blood father even at eleven months old, Daniel behaves just like Cullen. If you got caught with something you shouldn't have, just be cute and their hearts would melt. Sometimes Tairinn really thinks that ex-Commander is silently teaching the boy his ways when no one is watching. Maybe she should ask Bull to confirm her suspicions, he really has an eye for such things.

No matter how many trials her life has been throwing at her in these past decades, Tairinn still has troubles believing that they really have done it. What once was a proposition to spite her and Dorian's fathers became a promise she took pains to keep and here she is now, mothering a son she never intended to have. The child in question slowly stands up and starts walking towards her on wobbly legs, determined to get the shiny vial back.

“Mama!”

“No, not happening” with a smile of her own, Trevelyan climbs out of the chair and, putting the sparkling glass back in the leather pouch on her crimson belt, gently cradles squirming Daniel to her chest with right hand. Dear Maker, why did she choose to have a blasted prosthetic maintenance right now? Trying to make sure the little devil won't fall from her one-armed hug, Tairinn leaves the room and while crossing a small corridor calls down the stairs,

“Cullen, I could really use a hand right now!”

“I'm sure you already do” comes the reply and a mop of curly blond hair emerges from the ground floor, announcing the arrival of ex-Commander. He smirks, seeing that his friend is struggling to control the unruly kid, and quickly takes him from her.

“Cheeky smartass!” she tries to flick the fereldan on the nose, but Cullen swiftly steps aside. His gaze is seriously disapproving though and Tairinn cannot hold back nervous “What?”

“You didn't just swear in front of our son” sounds like a reproach and she bites back another curse. 

“Sorry," the woman sheepishly rubs her neck, “Last time I've seen him he was nowhere near repeating all the… well, everything we say. And I'm sorry we've missed his first steps…”

It comes out truly sad because she is disappointed she and Bull’s Chargers had to stay in Orlais for two full months more to deal with a very powerful, very noble and very annoying lord, who thought himself smarter than Empress herself. Of course they still communicated via that crystal thingy Dorian had made her carry around, but it was nowhere the same as to see her friends’ son make his first steps with her own eyes. 

“My son”, Tairinn corrects herself. It’s been more than two years now since they put this crazy plan in action and she still doesn't fully comprehend the implications of what they've done. It's easier to pretend she's just a really invested aunt, but not a mother of a real, her own child. However, Cullen doesn't let her overthink, motioning with his elbow down the stairs,

“Dorian hadn't been there too, had some urgent meeting with his Lucerni”, he says and she follows her friend down to the hall where they settle in front of the fireplace. After a minute of pulling the ties of Cullen's shirt Daniel is finally set free once again to explore the surface of a big and squishy moss green sofa under the watchful eye of his father. “Somehow I missed the moment when I've became the stay-at-home type of man”.

“You've always been a mother hen, so quit complaining”, Tairinn mocks him jokingly, remembering all those times he made a fuss every time someone of his young apprentices was injured during a spar or did as much as sneeze. Or when she got really sick in the first trimester and nearly threw up on Dorian at that “meet the parents” gathering. 

Oh, she'll never forget the mage’s face, fifty percent disgust, forty percent sympathy, ten - pure horror. What was the most amusing, they still didn't know, whether it was because of his mother watching or because he'd been wearing a brand new robe, the jerk. Tairinn tried to be mad at him, but his expression was way too hilarious and when she wrote a letter to Bull about it, his reaction was precious too.

She doesn't know how he'd done it, but till this day she is absolutely sure turning all of Dorian robes pink a week later was his doing. She knows, nearly all servants in the household adore Bull greatly even in spite of his looks and heritage so if he asks, they'll do everything for him. So yes, it must've been an idea of her kadan and Trevelyan still revels in the memory of Dorian striding royally through the streets of Minratous in bright fuchsia cloak and baby pink pants, nodding to his acquaintances and muttering under his breath: “At least it makes my rings and earrings stand out quite nicely.”

“Your sadistic smile bothers me.” Cullen’s voice brings her out of her musings and Tairinn shakes her head, smiling.

“Just remembered the pink incident, you know,” she offers, stretching on the soft couch. “I thought he'd never gonna live that down, but, Maker's breath, your husband just set a new trend. I'd love to say Tevinter is a nice change from orlesian court, but…”

Cullen just laughs, throwing his head back on the headrest, “You of all people! Complaining about fashion? After what happened in Halamshiral?”

“It was nearly six years ago, I had a reputation to uphold and,” Tairinn waves her left hand for an emphasis, “frankly speaking, it was Vivienne's idea. You know me, I wouldn't even come up with such monstrosity on my own!”

“Whatever you say, kadan, they still wear these feathered thingies even now.” Low rumble of the Iron Bull's voice carries over from the intricately decorated wooden doors, echoing in the long corridor behind him. The man haven't really changed through the years, Cullen muses absentmindedly, maybe a little more scars, or a little less anger underneath a friendly face, but he still watches Tairinn with the same fervour as the day they stormed Adamant.

“Hey, I thought you'd be a day or two later”, she says already standing up from the sofa, “I’ve arrived only yesterday.”

Crossing the distance between them, Iron Bull reaches out, giving his partner a brief kiss and then goes straight to the place where Daniel stares at him from.

“Hello, little warrior”, he wiggles all three fingers that are left on his left hand and the boy laughs happily, trying to grab tal-vashoth by the horn. “I hope you behaved, because I brought you something nice, but we'll have to wait till your dads approve.”

Winking at the kid, which to untrained eye looks just like a usual blink, Bull finally seats beside Tairinn and she momentarily snuggles closer, shifting, so most of her weight will be supported by his side. His hand reaches for her as on its own and her head immediately falls to man's chest. Cullen smiles at the sight of them. These two are a force of nature, a power to be reckoned with on the battlefield, but once in the safety of the camp or a home they look like they are just one soul divided into two bodies. So different, yet whole.

“It was much easier than we anticipated.” Tal-vashoth clears his throat and pulls the scroll out of his bottomless pocket with a free hand. He moves with a practiced ease, rolling it out but still not letting go of his partner's hand and Tairinn tilts her head to see what's written on the paper. She is without her prosthetic today and Bull adjusts his movements and actions to accommodate her without thinking. 

“Do we behave the same way?” Cullen wonders silently, taking squirming Daniel back from the edge of the sofa and putting him on the floor, letting the boy stand on a wobbly feet with his support. Memories flash before his eyes, of nearly dying from lyrium and watching Dorian disappear in the rift. Of playing chess with him, of them dancing in the bright lights of Halamshiral ballroom, of joy of being together, of torturous being apart. Years have changed them, shaped into something so very different from what Tairinn and Bull have, but so precious, important, unique. So, in a manner of speaking, he and Dorian are the same as them. A family.

The moment his friends finish reading the scroll, Tairinn sighs softly and after shaking off her shoes, turns on the couch, throwing her long legs onto Bull's lap. She's clearly pondering some problem, but before Cullen offers his help, she asks:

“Did you make them talk?”

“Make talk whom?” Cullen says, instantly suspicious. 

He's well aware that for the last five years most his friends have been roaming the whole southern and eastern Thedas, doing what Inquisition didn't have time to. He is, because he spends most of his time now coming up with plans of operations for them or working through the piles after piles of correspondence from Josephine and Leliana, no, Divine Victoria.  The Inquisition is no more, but people that made it possible are still there and they wouldn't abandon their mission after the organization was disbanded, War Council made sure of that.

Leliana took to her role of the Divine with the same dedication as always, devoting all her strength and cunning to it. Back in the days when Cullen just met Tairinn, the Herald of changes that shook the world, he could hardly believe her assessment of Leliana that Cassandra told him of, but ultimately Trevelyan was right. Inquisition was the sword, they were the shield, but it was the spymaster who had always been the eyes of the organization. So now, pushing for new laws and regulations, Divine Victoria was the one who stood alone against the world in the eyes of common people and only those, who've been trained and trained well, could see the shadows of the Inquisition still looming over her shoulders. 

Josephine left for Antiva under the auspices of the family matters, silently seizing control over the diplomatic ties she'd been building over the years. Her word is worthy of more than simple gold these days, a woman whose diplomatic skill unified the countries under the banner of Inquisition to fight ancient evil, and empresses and kings defer now to her judgement. For the first time in decades Montilyet ships are roaming both Waking sea and Amaranthine ocean, carrying goods and people that support endeavors of the Divine. 

Cullen knows of it because he is the one monitoring old and new squads move through the countries, mercenaries and regular forces alike. They say the Divine is unnaturally good in warfare planning after the rebellion is thwarted and Cullen smiles, reading her letters. Now he knows whom and how to use to shut the rumors. He's been navigating these deep and dangerous waters of politics ever since his affair with Dorian became public knowledge, even more so since he left Ferelden for Tevinter as a husband of the Ambassador Pavus. 

Where the Divine sees threat, his people will appear on fast antivan ships to deal with the danger to the Sunburst Throne. Trade is not the only business Antiva is so famous for, in the end.And if they are not enough, if there's yet another conflict brewing between reinstated Templar Order and the College of Magi, Seekers will rise, silent and deadly, to undertake the orders of Cassandra Pentaghast. She too was true to her word, working hard to find and unite her people, to shake off the mistakes of the past and strive, moving forward. And if her success is in part due to a new location, granted to the Seekers by the Viscount of Kirkwall… Well, Cullen isn't the one to judge where family is concerned. Speaking of family…

Tairinn survived that last meeting with Solas only because of the Voice and Tau’s interference, but still lost most of her left hand in the explosion of the Anchor. It took Florence and Vivienne both more than seven hours to bring her back to relative normal for her to be able to present before the Divine. That were horrible hours for all of them.

Now, years later he is positive about her decision to disband the Inquisition, even though at that moment Cullen was furious and ready to fight with Tairinn for the first time since he got off lyrium. Now he knows, she'd been right and it's much easier to operate from shadows, to be free from the shackles and scrutiny of popular opinion. He's just a husband of a Tevinter magister and a father, nothing more. She? 

He sees Tairinn smile at Daniel, unconsciously reaching to rub her neck with her Anchor hand, clearly forgetting that her prosthetic isn't with her. This woman never wanted to be the Inquisitor, to lead so many people and rule over them, but there was no choice for her and she took it in stride. Yes, she's made mistakes, but who didn't? For so much and so many lost she still made sure to give people second chances, even if it hurt her, fought for those, who couldn't, burned for those, who didn't even deserve it. 

She is just a woman who gave all of herself to people only for them to use her and then try to pronounce her and her partner traitors. He, Cassandra, Josephine, Varric, Vivienne… all of the Inner Circle stood proudly by their side and the Divine too, prohibiting this witch hunt, which was one more spark to fire the rebellion. Cullen cannot blame her for disbanding the Inquisition. 

Now she is a simple warrior, the leader of the squad when needed, a part of another when necessary, a friend, a mother, a partner. They spoke about their future only once, back in the day he was dying and she held him on the edge with her sheer unbreakable will… He knows, this, this moment, this life she has now is what she'd been wanting so badly but never believed would have. Cullen would kill to let her have it, and he's not the only one.

“So-o-o?” He squints, reassessing Tairinn and Bull’s condition. She and Chargers got back from Orlais only yesterday, but the group's already left for Nevarra three hours ago. Knowing, she's staying for some time, Trevelyan sent her prosthetic to Dagna for the maintenance, the usual thing. No visible new scars, no signs of fatigue from overuse of Templar abilities. Lord Everett was a difficult target, too important to simply get rid of, but too noisy to let his actions against the Empress Celene slide, that's why they stayed in Orlais for two months more. No problems rose from this mission.

Bull, on the other hand, was on entirely different kind of assignment: direct orders from the Divine, only basic information for the rest of War Council. Cullen knew there were skirmishes on the eastern border, living in Qarinus makes you notice such things. But something must be really wrong if Leliana decided to keep quiet until more intel is gathered. Something like…

“Arlathan Forest is alive.” Bull's voice is serious now, hard. 

“When elves left, we couldn't find a trace, all eluvians shut down.” Cullen stands up and carefully touches a small intricate ornament on the fireplace. Seconds later the fire, not red one that still makes Tairinn flinch sometimes, but blue-green Veilfire roars up the chimney, activating the spells. Protective shields, silencing dome, sphere of the master one by one emerge into existence, making the room glow. Satisfied, he asks, “But we thought they left for the Crossroads?” 

“They must have.” Tairinn nods, standing up too. She picks Daniel up gently and Cullen feels worry rise in his chest - her eyes are golden. Not that emotionless mirror yet, but they glow too, reflecting the lights dancing in the room. It can mean only one thing. Danger. “But Arlathan is elvhen territory that we have no access to. They may have reopened the eluvians there.”

“How close did you get? What did you see?” Cullen’s eyes widen but he is all business now, his mind already shifting through agents, means and possibilities.

“Close enough to catch a glimpse of sylvan,” Bull says grimly, “and get my ass smoked.”

“Language!” Tairinn and Cullen hiss at him at the same moment but it’s too late.

“As! Dada! As!” 

Smiling brightly, Daniel starts to bounce in Tairinn’s hold and Bull, looking genuinely sorry, squeezes his visible eye shut.  “Whops...” Cullen just sighs in defeat.

“It was just a matter of time. It’s not like Dorian always watches his speech, especially now when the Magistrate is so turbulent. Let’s wait for him and you’ll tell us everything.”

“Fine. And I’m sorry,” tal-vashoth says again. “Just one more thing for you to ponder while we’re at it.”

“I’m all ears,” Cullen grins sarcastically despite the situation.

“Nah,” Bull shakes his head, barely missing a huge chandelier with his horns, “but Lavellans are. Met them. Got a word from Tau. She’s ready to help us.”

Now it’s Tairinn’s turn to be shocked. She leans on the fireplace, apparently comfortable with Veilfire in such a close proximity for the moment, “Are you sure it was them and not one of this uh…” she stumbles over the words, “blasted wolf’s tricks?”

“It were them. None of normal Solas’ elves would be drinking mraas-lok with me in the middle of the night like it was water, huh.”

“Lethe, then.” Cullen nods and touches the ornament on the fireplace again, letting the spells to subside. “Dorian must be on his way back already. Let’s go upstairs.”

He turns to Tairinn, ready to take Daniel from her, but her expression stops him. Her eyes still glow, but they are dying embers now instead of gold and she looks… sad? The downturn of her lips and furrowed brows are a rare sight on her face lately, but the man seems to know what bothers her. They had a short respite from war, a few years for themselves, but now the threat is looming over them again and she won’t walk away from it for other people to fight. Cullen looks at Tairinn Agni Trevelyan and sees the Inquisitor. The woman that will take the lead again.

“I’ll put Dannie to bed,” she says softly, watching her son quiet down, feeling the change in her mood. “And then we plan. Solas won’t take anyone from me. Not again.”

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading!
> 
> feedback is highly appreciated!


End file.
